SFH Nigeria Website 
News and Photo Stories -Week 51
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SFH IN THE NEWS
Nigeria has reaffirmed its leadership in the fight against mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis during a high-level workshop, yesterday, in Geneva, Switzerland, which was monitored virtually. The workshop, organised by the Global Fund, brought together health experts and policymakers from West and Central Africa to exchange innovative strategies and data-driven solutions to achieve elimination goals. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a central theme of the workshop was ‘The triple elimination of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis’.
Nigeria shared critical insights on scaling interventions, addressing confidentiality in care delivery and ensuring the sustainability of its programmes. The country’s delegation, including Dr Charles Odima of the Society for Family Health (SFH), Ms Rifkatu Sunday of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) and Dr Mojisola Bello of the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), stood out for the country’s commitment to improving the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and driving sustainable healthcare solutions.
We also presented several abstracts sourced from our work across Nigeria’s 36 states, which are being extensively discussed on the conference floor,” he added. Reflecting on Nigeria’s progress, Dr Idogho said findings from the recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) showed that some regions, particularly the North East and North West, have recorded significant percentage increases in family planning uptake. Also speaking, Pharmacist Dennis Aizobu, Managing Director of SFH Access, a subsidiary of SFH, explained how the organisation bridges critical gaps in healthcare access.
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SFH Sensitizes Communities in Kwara to Promote Family Planning, reduce Maternal Mortality
Vanguard, 17 Dec 2024
Society for Family Health (SFH) has commenced sensitization of communities in Kwara state towards promoting family planning (FP) and reducing maternal mortality through the Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC) 2.0 project. The campaign aims to foster grassroots awareness and drive behaviour change across communities in Kwara State. SFH’s State Program Officer, Mrs Bukola Oguike who reaffirmed the commitment of SFH agenda during a sensitization visit to Afon, Asa LGA, highlighted family planning’s vital role in protecting maternal and child health as SFH prepares to expand campaigns across Kwara’s 16 LGAs.
SFH ACTIVITIES
SFH Participates at the Aidsfonds Paediatric HIV Annual Partners Meeting in Kampala, Uganda
Society for Family Health participated at the Aidsfonds Annual Partners Meeting for the Paediatric HIV Programme held from 1st to 2nd December 2024 at the Fairway Boutique Hotel in Kampala, Uganda. SFH was represented by Dr Irene Osoata, Project Manager for the Lafiyan Yara and Breakthrough Paediatric Partnership. The meeting convened key stakeholders, including implementing partners from Malawi, Indonesia, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Mozambique, as well as representatives from the Paediatric HIV Advisory Panel (PHAP), Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) Uganda, and Paediatric-Adolescent Treatment Africa (PATA) Uganda, to strengthen collaboration, review progress, and plan the future direction of the programme. Discussions centred on embedding the updated Theory of Change (ToC), ensuring all partners understood their roles within this framework to guide the programme’s strategic focus. Advocacy strategies for 2025 were also prioritised, emphasising enhancing visibility and policy influence at both global and national levels. Strengthening connections between global networks and local partners was identified as essential for achieving coordinated advocacy and sustainable impact.
The programme’s governance structure was reviewed and refined, resulting in a co-created framework emphasising transparency, accountability, and effective decision-making. The start-up phase of the PHAP initiative was evaluated, with reflections on early successes, challenges, and lessons learned. This evaluation will inform the next stages of the programme, ensuring it continues to evolve strategically and meet its objectives effectively. Looking ahead, partners engaged in strategic planning for 2025 and beyond, exploring potential partnerships, funding opportunities, and alignment with global health priorities. Success stories and innovative approaches from different regions were shared, reinforcing the programme’s tangible impact on children and families affected by HIV. The meeting reaffirmed the importance of collaboration, implementing the Theory of Change, and formalising the governance framework. As the programme progresses, scaling successful interventions and addressing gaps will remain priorities, supported by ongoing coordination and new funding opportunities. The Aidsfonds Annual Partners Meeting continues to be a crucial platform for fostering innovation and strategic alignment. It reflects the collective commitment of stakeholders, including SFH, to ending AIDS among children and improving global health outcomes.
Background – To democratise access to health commodities for equity, the Promoting Accreditation for Community Health Services (PACS) project aligns with SFH strategic objective to develop an efficient and sustainable supply chain for healthcare products. PACS project supports drug vendors in digitising inventory management and accessing quality medicines from accredited suppliers. Drug vendors who volunteered to use the digital pathway were trained on the use of digital platforms to manage inventory and linked to digital solution providers for onboarding through a business fair ecosystem. The capacity building activity followed a mixed-method training approach, a group training session was followed with one-on-one hands-on support during visits to the facilities. Over the course of two hundred and ten days, the adoption of the solution among providers was suboptimal. 27% (83) of linked drug vendors (297) used the digital solution to access quality health commodities. The trend of monthly utilisation showed that eleven (11) drug vendors only newly utilised the digital solutions in October 2024 in Kaduna state to access quality commodities from accredited suppliers. Digital literacy was the key constraint to the adoption and utilisation of digital solutions for inventory management among the vendors in Kaduna state.
Solution – The project team had to innovate around the digital constraints barrier to improve the adoption rate. A solution-based review meeting approach was the game-changer. The objectives of the meeting were to address the barrier to the adoption of the digital solution thereby improving the overall utilisation of the PACS project incentives among drug vendors in Kaduna state. The meeting was held in five clusters in Kaduna state from 19 November to 23 November 2024. We brought under one roof the digital solution developer/provider, the drug vendors, the regulator (PCN) and the project staff. We created solution tables to address sign-up, onboarding issues and technology-compliant challenges; another table to address username issues for data quality; and a table for regulatory compliance to address issues related to practising license.
Result – The result of the project’s performance was instantaneous. The number of drug vendors who newly accessed quality commodities using the digital solution, month-on-month, increased by 581%, from 11 drug vendors in October to 75 vendors in November 2024. In cumulative terms, utilisation of the digital solutions increased by 90%, from 83 to 158 drug vendors. In conclusion, a solution-based review meeting event is found to be instrumental in overcoming digital literacy concerns in the adoption and use of digital solutions to improve access to quality health commodities among drug vendors. Effective collaboration and participation of relevant stakeholders are necessary for a positive result.
SFH visits Special Advisor to the President on Health
SFH Exco and Team visited the Special Advisor to the President on Health Dr Salma Ibrahim Anas at her office on Aso Rock today. It was an opportunity to present her an award for Excellence in RMNCAH Leadership in Nigeria, copies of Intentionality our commemorative book and to discuss Collaboration with her office to address RMNCAH-N in Nigeria.
She discussed key policy interests of the President on Health and presented Policy directions to address MMR and Under 5 mortality in Nigeria. We jointly agreed on the need for provision of Tech assistance in key areas and regular touch points with her office.
SFH Hosts End-of-Project Dissemination for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) Project in Kaduna State
SFH successfully concluded the ANRiN Project on 17th December 2024 in Kaduna. The event brought together distinguished guests, including the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma K. Ahmed, the Honourable Commissioner for Planning and Budget Commission, Mukhtar Ahmed, Director General, Kaduna State Contributory Management Agency, the Project Manager of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Dr Zainab Muhammed, staff of the PIU, the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board (KSPHCB), representatives of the Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP), Community Leaders, Implementing Partners, and members of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN). In her opening remarks, Hajiya Umma K. Ahmed commended the ANRiN PIU team and SFH for their collaboration with the Kaduna State Ministry of Health. She highlighted the success of the project in providing essential services such as Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) counselling for pregnant mothers and caregivers of children aged 0–23 months, micronutrient powders for children aged 6–23 months, iron and folic acid supplementation for pregnant women, and intermittent malaria treatment. Representing Dr Omokhudu Idogho, Managing Director of SFH, Abdulsamad Salihu, Chief of Party for the KP CARE 2 Project, shared the project’s success in reaching over 1.5 million beneficiaries, surpassing its original target by achieving 108% of its goals. Dr Zainab Muhammed, Project Manager for the PIU, presented the ANRiN journey and highlighted key achievements, noting that a total of 6,267,880 services were delivered by ANRiN 1, exceeding the target of 5,784,983. ANRiN 2 delivered 2,205,141 services against a target of 2,413,472.
She further explained that MIYCN counselling was conducted at 155 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) supported by ANRiN across 23 Local Government Areas, reaching over 300,000 pregnant women with nutrition counselling, iron/folic acid supplementation, and malaria prevention services. Additional presentations were delivered by Ibrahim Muhammed Murtala, Project Director for ANRiN 1, and Haji Fatima Muhammed, Project Director for ANRiN 2. Both project directors shared key lessons learned and celebrated the tremendous work achieved during the implementation period, underscoring the project’s contribution to improving maternal and child health outcomes in Kaduna State. Traditional and religious leaders, interpersonal communication agents,(IPCAs) and beneficiaries shared inspiring success stories on how they had benefited from the project. They also expressed gratitude, highlighting how the interventions had positively impacted their health and well-being. In his closing remarks, Dayyabu Yusuf, Director of Health System Strengthening at SFH, thanked all partners, stakeholders, and attendees for their collaboration and support. He applauded the efforts of everyone involved in ensuring the project’s success, noting that the ANRiN Project has created a sustainable impact on improving nutrition, maternal health, and adolescent empowerment while addressing malnutrition for a healthier and brighter future in Kaduna State. He further expressed SFH’s readiness to partner with Kaduna State for future projects, reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to supporting health and development initiatives that benefit the people of the state.
SFH organises Risk Mitigation and Defensive Behavioural Driving Training for SFH MVOs
Society for Family Health (SFH) conducted a two-day Risk Mitigation – Defensive Behavioural Driving Training for Motor Vehicle Operators (MVOs) in the North Central and South-South regions. The workshop, which held on December 12th and 13th, 2024, at Jemmy Land Hotels was facilitated by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) 7.1 Sector Command, FCT, Abuja. The training covered essential topics to enhance safety, efficiency, and legal compliance for MVOs. On Day 1, participants were guided through Basic Maintenance Checks, Defensive Driving Techniques, Journey Management, Driving in Dangerous or Unsecured Environments, and the Categories of Driver’s Licenses and Number Plates, including their acquisition processes. Day 2 focused on The Driver and the Law, Understanding the Highway Code, and other critical areas to ensure adherence to road safety regulations. The workshop equipped SFH drivers with practical skills and knowledge, reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to safe and responsible operations on Nigerian roads.
SFH GF IPAYP team holds a one-day sensitization meeting in Gombe
As part of our stakeholder and community engagement efforts, the IPAYP team held a one-day sensitization meeting with various stakeholders to discuss the Infant, Pediatrics, Adolescents, and Young Person (IPAYP) Program. During the meeting, the team outlined areas of support within the program’s five implementation pillars: Health and Nutrition, Education, Household Economic Strengthening and Shelter, Gender Human Rights and Social Protection, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services. The stakeholders present included representatives from the Ministry of Education, religious and traditional leaders, law enforcement agencies, and three community-based organizations (CBOs) — Kishimi, Knightingale, and Gamunan — along with paralegals. The team provided an overview of the project and the IPAYP program, while the CBO representatives discussed the challenges, they encounter at the community level when referring and providing services. The stakeholders engaged in discussions regarding areas of support and reaffirmed their commitment to the project. A significant issue addressed was gender-based violence (GBV) and the ways communities often protect perpetrators. Stakeholders were encouraged to support law enforcement agents in ensuring that GBV survivors receive the necessary support and services, particularly preventive services.
New Article Alert
Decentralized COVID-19 testing with antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) is recommended by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control for community-level services. These services have been provided in Primary Healthcare Centers, Community Pharmacies, and licensed “Patent Medicine Stores” that serve the least affluent communities. To support quality assurance, we applied an adapted version of SPI-RT (Stepwise Process for Improving the Quality of HIV Rapid and Recency Testing) to sites providing COVID-19-RDTs in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria.
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